Will A University Degree Ensure Our Success In Life?
In my humble opinion, having a university degree may and may not ensure our success in life. Why is that so?
First and foremost, what is success? This question has been asked over centuries at motivational seminars and forums, yet there is no definite meaning of success and why is that? More often than not, people are in over their heads in competing and comparing their own accomplishments with the rest that people do not realize that every success varies with each individual. Some may define success that is to live happy and fruitful life, which others may define success as making hefty amount of money. Regardless of what success means, all of us aim to be successful in life.
Some among us are of the opinion – in fact, most of us – that a university degree will ensure our success in life. Having university degree gives us an advantage when it comes to applying for a job. A professional job with a reasonable pay will give you some peace of mind when you step out into the world of work. It is a common knowledge that interviewers or huge companies will be more keen on hiring somebody with a university degree. This is because having a university degree shows that we already have prior knowledge and skills in that particular job we are applying for.
For example, a mechanical engineer with a degree in mechanical engineering degree has a higher chance of getting employed than another without a degree. Employers probably hire an engineer who has the required skills and theoretical knowledge to reassemble a car or even build one, compared to another who only knows how to service a car. Mainly, having a university degree is one of their crucial requisites during a job application. In short, a university degree will increase our chance of having a brighter future.
On the other hand, a university degree may not ensure our success in life because some people prefer to succeed on their own terms and time. Let us take Bill Gates as an example. He dropped out of university to pursue in the invention of Microsoft programmes which definitely led him to becoming one of the wealthiest man in the world. Walt Disney is yet another example. A man of the arts, he was regularly scolded for not paying attention in class and was fond of doodling in his books. What originally was a google turned out to be the first Walt Disney cartoon ever produces – that was Mickey Mouse. He became world famous without ever stepping into a university. This just goes to show that a university degree is not a necessary precursor to success in life.
Furthermore, university degrees take up a lot of time. The average time needed to obtain a university degree is three to five years. Some people prefer to use that valuable time to gain more experience for themselves. Experience is also one of the major factors that employers look for. Therefore, without experience, the chance of getting a job is slim. A lot of experience could be obtained in five years and as the saying goes, “Time and tide waits for no man.”
In a nutshell, a university degree may or may not guarantee our success in the future but we should be bold enough to choose our own career paths. Do not just follow the crowd, set your goals. This is what makes all of us unique and let us face the fact that a world of stereotypes is indeed boring.